The Eye of Destiny
by R. Joy Helvie
Summary: An eccentric Muggle finds out she's got a magical history and is asked to teach Muggle Studies at Hogwarts. Little does she know that her newfound powers will lead to her discovering some shocking truths about one Professor Severus Snape. SnapeOC.
1. Prologue

**AUTHOR'S UPDATE:**  
August 5, 2004 -- Prologue has been updated. A plothole was found that needed changing: Arthur mentions in GoF that he owns a large collection of batteries. Therefore, I have explained the plothole by making the collection be of _car _batteries. Therefore, it's still possible for Arthur not to know what smaller batteries look like. Also changed was Severus' impression of Caitlin as a "woman" to "girl", prior to his learning her status as a graduated college student, and the addition of aspirin as a part of Caitlin's purchase to establish her need for headache pain relief.  
**  
Author's Name**:R. Joy Helvie  
**Author's E-mail Address**: _captjacksparrow1661 (insert "at" sign here) hotmail . com_ (delete the spaces)  
  
**Part**: 1/?  
**Rating**: PG (may be upgraded with later chapters)  
**Genre**: Drama/Suspense  
**Pairings**: Snape/OC; Ron/Hermione; Harry/Parvati; Neville/Luna  
**Synopsis/Summary**: An eccentric Muggle finds out she's got a magical history and is asked to teach Muggle Studies at Hogwarts. Little does she know that her newfound powers will lead to her discovering some shocking truths about one Professor Severus Snape. Snape/OC.  
  
**DISCLAIMER**: All the original characters from _Harry Potter_ belong to **J. K. Rowling** (although I, of course, wish to own Severus Snape).  
  
The idea of the _Dead Zone_ belongs to **Stephen King** (whose movies are some of the coolest out there; _Secret Window_ rocked!).  
  
Any characters appearing in this story that are not from _Harry Potter_ belong to **R. Joy Helvie**; please get permission from me before using any of my characters.  
  
**NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED**, and if you're really, really nice, I promise to return all the characters to their previous state by the end of the story.... maybe. ;-)  
  
**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: This story is the first of a series (hopefully). I'm a huge fan of the show _Dead Zone_, and I love the idea of being able to see the past or future by touching an object or person. Well, one day I was thinking about writing my first _Harry Potter_ fanfic, and I realized that I could perhaps develop a scientific explanation for the magical powers that are in the books. Then, my thinking turned to divination, and I thought it'd be really cool if I came up with a story where the Dead Zone is what controls how much (or little) magical powers a person has. Thus began this story. I'm hoping to write several more stories wherein an OC with the Dead Zone ability run into the characters of a fandom and they have adventures together. The Dead Zone ability is a great plot tool and can add a lot of suspense to a story. Well, I hope you like!  
  


**The Dead Zone Chronicles: Harry Potter**  
_The Eye of Destiny_  
  
PROLOGUE  


  
"Oh, that is _ingenious!_ Isn't it, Severus?"  
  
Severus Snape sneered at the redheaded middle-aged man bending toward the metal shelf. His companion had always been extremely fascinated with the way Muggle technology worked, but now was not the time to ogle over such trivial things as men's electric razors.  
  
"Yes, yes, ingenious. Are you finished, Arthur?" Severus was impatient to get out of this small Muggle store. He found the light music that was playing over hidden speakers to be so utterly _boring_, it seemed eager to destroy his concentration on the task at hand. "All we were sent to buy were some... what were they called?"  
  
"Batteries," Arthur Weasley replied, standing straight and looking at Severus with an excited twinkling in his eyes. "According to Harry, that is what will make that flightlash... er, lightflash... Oh, whatever it is, batteries are what makes it work."  
  
Severus rolled his eyes. It had of course been Harry Potter who had decided this _wonderful_ trip to a Muggle drug store was needed. The boy had discovered a cupboard in the attic of 12 Grimmauld Place that seemed to repel magic. Therefore, as the _lumos_ charm would not work to illuminate any interesting artifacts that might be in the cupboard, Potter had decided that they should use a Muggle contraption called a flashlight that would give them the light they needed. However, upon finding a flashlight, he had discovered its power source to be missing, and Severus had been chosen--of all the people present at Grimmauld Place at that very moment--to accompany Arthur to the Muggle drug store.  
  
It was just one more way that boy had found to get on Severus' deepest nerves. It seemed that even after the wholly depressing events that had taken place at the Department of Mysteries a few weeks ago, the boy had not lost his touch. "So why don't we buy these _batteries_ and be done with it already?"  
  
"Ah, I would, Severus, except..." Arthur's face flushed with embarrassment.  
  
"What now?" Severus snapped.  
  
"I don't know what they look like. Considering the large collection of car batteries I own, you'd think I would know what smaller batteries look like--but apparently they're completely different from automobile power sources. I suppose I ought to have asked Harry to draw me a picture, but I didn't want to bother him, what with recent events. Besides, I figured--"  
  
"Why don't we ask a Muggle, then?" Snape interrupted, not interested in hearing more about the Boy Wonder's depression than he had already been subjected to in the past few weeks.  
  
"But... how would I do so without looking a complete fool? Batteries seem to be a common Muggle power source. If I'm to appear to be a Muggle, I should know what a battery looks like."  
  
_You've already succeeded in looking a complete fool_, Severus felt like pointing out in light of Arthur's intense fascination with the razors, but he wasn't in the mood for an argument. He sighed in annoyance, swept down the aisle and looked for the nearest Muggle.  
  
The closest was standing at a rack full of thin paper books with several non-moving pictures plastered on their covers. Her flat strawberry blonde hair fell limply about her shoulders as she pored over one of the books. She looked busy, but Severus was sure his task was of more importance than flipping through a book that gossiped about famous Muggles.  
  
He strode over to the girl and tapped on her shoulder. His finger made a swishing noise when it made contact with the olive green coated nylon of her windbreaker. She jumped at the noise--or the touch; Severus couldn't tell--and whipped around to face him. Her expression clearly showed that she was surprised to have been called to the attention of a complete stranger.  
  
"Pardon me, miss," Severus said in as polite a tone as his personality could afford him. "Do you happen to know where the... batteries are?"  
  
Her half-open hazel eyes quickly sized him up and a strange look of appreciation flitted for a few seconds over her pale freckled face. Her mouth twitched up at one corner, making it look as though she was too tired to achieve a full smile. She pointed to her left at a wire rack that displayed cardboard packages holding bronze and black cylinders.  
  
"I'd suggest using Energizer. They keep going and going and going..." The girl chuckled at her own comment, but Severus frowned. He didn't see the humor in her words, but then again, of all sentient beings, Muggles seemed to have won the prize for having the oddest senses of humor.  
  
Taking a quick glance about him to make sure Arthur was outside of hearing range, he muttered, "Thank you," and stepped over to the wire rack. He could feel the Muggle girl's gaze on him and he attempted to ignore it as his mind moved on to more pressing matters: there were a variety of sizes of batteries available.  
  
Arthur suddenly appeared at his side and his eyes lit up once more. "So _these_ are non-automotive batteries? There are so many to choose from!"  
  
"What was it that Potter wrote on that slip of parchment he handed you?"  
  
Arthur dug into the pocket of his red Muggle jacket and pulled out what he was searching for. "Ah, here it is. Let's see... Ah, yes, he wrote 'Two C'. I suppose he means we need to buy a package of two that says 'C'."  
  
"How did you ever guess?" Severus mumbled.  
  
Not hearing this comment, or just choosing to ignore it, Arthur plunged on. "Which manufacturer shall we purchase from?"  
  
"The Muggle woman suggested Energizer. She said they last a long while." At least he hoped so. He would be loathe to make another trip like this for a long while.  
  
Arthur seemed fine with this suggestion, picked up a package with black and green batteries of the size "C", and traipsed over to the purchase counter. Severus stood to the side, as close to the door as possible without completely blocking the exit. As Arthur fumbled with the Muggle money that Hermione Granger had lent him, Severus found himself looking in the Muggle girl's direction. She had moved on to the frozen foods section and was taking a bucket of ice cream from the freezer. She pulled a wallet out of the back pocket of her loose blue jeans and then proceeded in Severus' direction.  
  
Feeling eager to avoid as much Muggle contact as possible, Severus turned his attention back to Arthur to see if he was finished. Unfortunately, the eager wizard was now trying to decipher the amounts on the coinage, with help from the clerk, who was visibly struggling to force down a smile.  
  
"Friend of yours?" came a soft, lilting voice.  
  
Severus, surprised at the distinctly American accent he had just heard, turned to see his Muggle helper standing behind him. He nodded.  
  
"Are you foreign to these parts?" the girl inquired. "I can see your companion is having troubles with the money. I had quite a bit of trouble myself for months after I got here."  
  
Severus stared; he couldn't help it. No Muggle had ever been so forthcoming with him. They usually just ignored him, and he them. Forcing himself to say at least something, he replied, "Yes, we're new to this area."  
  
"Must not be from too far away. Your accent is definitely English."  
  
"And yours is most definitely American."  
  
She smiled. "You got me there. I came out here for college, loved life here, and so I stayed here after finishing my education."  
  
College? Severus looked closely at the girl. She didn't look a day over seventeen. Either she was a decidedly brilliant student who skipped several grades or, more likely, she possessed an inherited gene for youthful looks.  
  
Finally finished with his purchase, Arthur turned and gently tapped Severus' arm. "Ready to go, Severus?"  
  
The girl--no, _woman_, Severus reminded himself--raised an eyebrow at Arthur, and to Severus she said, "That's a wonderful name. Are you named after the emperor Lucius Septimius Severus?"  
  
Severus could only nod, being taken back by the woman's strangely correct guess; not many people--Muggles _or_ Wizards--were studied up on enough history to know of the man for whom he'd been named. Arthur, noting his partner's silence, extended his hand to the woman. "I'm Arthur Weasley, and this is Severus Snape. We were just on a quick trip to pick up these batteries. Thank you for the help in finding them, miss."  
  
Taking the man's proffered hand, the woman replied, "Not a problem. And my name's Caitlin Boyd."  
  
"Well, I do hope we meet you again someday," said Arthur, taking Severus' arm and leading him toward the door.  
  
Severus pulled away from Arthur's grasp and glared. "I can find the door on my own, thank you very much."  
  


**xoxox**  


  
Caitlin pulled her mouth into a half-smile and watched with fascination as the two men quickly left the building. Turning to the clerk, she commented, "Now there go some very interesting people. I should get out more often. Maybe I should sub for you sometime, Mark."  
  
Mark smiled and replied, "I'd be more than happy to, if you really mean it. It would keep me away from nutters like them for at least a day."  
  
"What do you mean, 'nutters'?"  
  
He leaned forward on the counter and pointed his thumb in the direction of the door. "I've had people like them in here before. They don't seem to know what things like batteries are, and they have no inkling of an idea how to use money. In fact, one time a man tried paying me with some coins he called galleons. I've no idea what country they come from, but it's definitely not from around here."  
  
Caitlin looked at the door. She couldn't help but think of the man called Severus. He'd been quite polite with her and she had to admit, he wasn't the ugliest man she'd ever met. For half a second, she wondered if she would ever see him again. She shook her head, clearing away all thoughts of her strange encounter, and plopped the ice cream beside the register. She grabbed a pack of generic aspirin, set it on top of her dessert, then put her wallet next to it and dug about for cash as Mark rang up the purchase.  
  
"Getting ready to do some heavy reading?" he asked as he slipped the ice cream and medication into a bag.  
  
"You're getting to know me far too well," Caitlin said with a smile as she handed him her money. "Yes, I'm going to go home, slip into bed, pop in a classical music CD, and read to my heart's content. I've had a boring day, and I relish the idea of sinking myself into an adventure novel."  
  
"Well, have double the fun to cover for my boredom. I have to stay here 'til closing."  
  
Grabbing her purchase, Caitlin waved and replied, "I will!" as she walked out the door.  
  


**xoxox**  


  
Arriving home after a long day of boredom was the best feeling in the world, Caitlin had decided. She headed straight for the kitchenette of her small one-bedroom flat. After setting her keys on their hook, she ripped the plastic bag off her ice cream--dropping the box of aspirin on the floor in the process, shuffled around in a drawer for a sturdy spoon, and stepped over to the microwave. She stuck the ice cream in the machine for ten seconds to soften it up and then headed to her bedroom, picking up the dropped box of aspirin on the way and clutching it to her chest tightly.  
  
Deciding to get into more comfortable clothing, Caitlin set down her ice cream and aspirin on the nightstand and felt immediately at the back pocket of her jeans to take her wallet out.... only it wasn't there.  
  
"Ah, dadgummit!" she exclaimed, realizing she had left the wallet on the counter at the store. Reaching into her other back pocket, she pulled out a small ZipLock bag containing her driver's license and credit cards, rolling her eyes heavenward and saying a prayer of thanks that she was so protective of her things. She had learned from experience that pick-pockets aimed for thick wallets in back pockets, so she kept her cash in the wallet, but her important cards in a bag that would go undetected in the other denim pocket.  
  
She _could_ wait until morning to get the wallet from Mark, who had likely discovered the item just as she had zoomed out of the parking lot, but she had her theatre tickets in there, and she needed them for tomorrow afternoon. She didn't feel like dropping by the store just before going to the theatre, so she decided she would retrieve her wallet tonight.  
  
Grudgingly she picked up the ice cream and aspirin. Back in the kitchen, she stowed her snack in the freezer and set the spoon on a napkin near the sink. She then took a quick moment to rip open the box of aspirin, pop two pills out of their bubbles, and swallowed them sans water. Grabbing her keys from their hook, she set out.  
  


**xoxox**  


  
Life just wanted to play with her luck, Caitlin surmised as she noted the raindrops that were now smattering her arms. She punched a button on the inner panel of her steering wheel. All too slowly, the hood on her electric-hybrid vehicle rose to protect the soft carpet interior.  
  
She leaned forward to glance at the sky. Though only five o'clock in the evening, it was pitch black. Dark cumulonimbus clouds broiled overhead. A quick shot of lightning briefly illuminated the steadily darkening streets. In that quick flash, her gaze caught onto a small figure as it jumped into the road, directly in her car's path.  
  
She quickly jerked her wheel to the right, avoiding the fox--which she could now identify, being in such close proximity--but coming too far over the side of the asphalt. In a split second, the car had slammed into the stone wall lining the byway, and Caitlin Boyd left the world of the conscious.  



	2. What is a Squib?

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: I will address individual reviews for the previous chapter at the bottom of each chapter. Therefore, at the bottom of this chapter, you will find my responses to the reviews of the prologue.  
  
This chapter is not one-hundred percent complete. I'm not quite satisfied with how it turned out, so it may eventually be updated to explain the situation better (and maybe work around all the exposition), but the essential information will remain the same.  


  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
What Is A Squib?  


  
A pair of eyelids snapped open. After a moment of adjustment to the morning light, hazel eyes steadily surveyed their surroundings. Caitlin was filled relief to see that she was not in an intensive care unit. In fact, she assumed she was not even in a normal hospital room, if the lack of medical machines and the presence of several non-hospital-like beds was any indication.  
  
"Thank you," Caitlin whispered, her eyes training up to the ceiling. At least her calm surroundings and the fact that she was not being monitored by machines indicated she had not been mortally wounded.  
  
A soft snort came from the end of her bed. Caitlin slowly sat up, noting that the pounding headache that had been a daily presence in her life for five years now was nowhere to be felt. She looked past her feet to see a mass of dishwater-blond curls pooled at the end of the bed. It was her mother, snoring.  
  
Caitlin smiled gently and felt her lips crack; she needed water. Looking around, she discovered a full glass of water on a small nightstand to her right. She reached for the glass, and as her hand grasped firmly onto the cold vessel, a strange rush flowed through her veins. In an instant, the world seemed to change.  
  
She now stood at the foot of the bed, gazing with fear and fascination at the sight of herself lying under the sheets. She looked down, patted her stomach, and snapped her head back up. _What in the world?!_  
  
It was night now, too. Her mother, instead of snoring to kingdom come, was sitting awake beside the bed, her left hand clasped gently in Caitlin's, and her right hand gripped firmly around the very same water glass that Caitlin had just touched. She was softly singing an Irish lullaby as she rocked slowly back and forth in her chair.  
  
The entrancing moment was shattered when the door at the far end of the room opened and let in light from a wide hallway. A tall silhouette moved carefully into the light and entered the room. As the figure drew nearer, it raised an arm. At the end, grasped in a slender but strong hand, was a long... stick?  
  
A soft, gentle voice murmured, "_Lumos_."  
  
Immediately, light emitted from the tip of the stick, which Caitlin could now see looked like an unpainted magician's wand. The lightening of the figure's face revealed gentle blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles, a long white beard, and a smile that matched the twinkle in the man's gaze.  
  
"Hello."  
  
Caitlin's mother reacted instantly in surprise, then excitement, at the man's voice. She bolted out of her chair and practically assaulted the man with a bear hug. "Dumbledore!"  
  
Dumbledore chuckled melodically. "It's wonderful to see you again, Dena, my dear. It's been quite a long time, has it not?"  
  
Dena nodded as she disengaged her embrace. "I'm so glad you could come. I--I don't know what's going on... what's happening."  
  
Dumbledore laid a hand gently on Dena's shoulder. "I have spoken with the healers, and they have explained to me Caitlin's situation. I believe you may want to take a seat."  
  
Caitlin wished she too could sit as she watched her mother wearily find her way back to the side of Caitlin's bed. Dumbledore sat on the edge of the bed. Folding his hands in his lap, he began. "Caitlin is not a squib."  
  
Dena raised an eyebrow; Caitlin raised two. What in the world was a squib?  
  
"How is that possible?" Dena questioned. "I thought squibs could not gain magical powers they don't already have."  
  
"They cannot. You see, we have known for a while that being a magical person is genetic, but only recently have we learned _how_. There is a large portion of a human's brain the purpose of which has never been determined by Muggle doctors. It has, however, been discovered by our own healers that this piece of the brain holds the key to magical powers. Muggle doctors have adopted the term 'dead zone' to refer to this usually inactive portion of the brain. But it is only inactive in Muggles. Wizards have an active zone the purpose of which we now know, so we have coined a more appropriate term--Magithallus."  
  
"That's all very interesting," Dena interjected, "but it doesn't explain how my daughter isn't a squib."  
  
"You know that a squib is a being with no magical powers born to one or two magical people. Apparently, the more non-magical ancestry a person has, the more likely they are to be a squib. Squibs essentially have an inactive Magithallus.  
  
Caitlin, being born of one pureblood and one muggle had the potential to be a squib, but instead, it turned out she was born quite the opposite. She had a fully developed Magithallus that was one-hundred percent active, which is rare, as most wizards operate at only forty-percent. The problem was that she had a connection loose, inhibiting her ability to access her magical powers.  
  
The head trauma from the accident has caused whatever 'wires' that were loose to, in a sense, 'jiggle' into place. She now has full access to her Magithallus."  
  
Dean leaned back in her chair and glanced over at the still form under the sheets. "What does this all mean for her now?"  
  
"I am arranging to have Caitlin attend Hogwarts."  
  
Dena looked at him curiously. "Isn't she too old?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Of course not. She's just a late developer. But, to ease any worries she may have about being surrounded by such young students, I will be keeping her learning private, and she shall take on the position of Muggle Studies professor."  
  
Chuckling, Dena grasped the pale hand that lay still on the bed. "She'll love that. She has always loved teaching people about how things work."  
  
Dumbledore stood and began making his way to the door. "I must be going. There is a world of work ahead of us."  
  
As he reached the door, he halted. Turning to face Dena once more, he added, "You may be in for a bit of a shock when she wakes. We do not know exactly what that other sixty-percent of the Magithallus is capable of doing."  
  
The moment Dumbledore's foot stepped outside the room, the rush took over Caitlin once more. Suddenly, it was morning again, the birds were chirping, and Caitlin's abnormally absent headache had suddenly returned. It had returned so much so, in fact, that she doubled over in pain as she grabbed at her skull.  
  
This was going to be a very interesting day.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
**Review Responses--Prologue**  
  
**JediMaster16:** Thanks for your compliments! Sorry it's taken so long to update. I'm currently suffering a major writer's/artistic/creative block, so thankfully, I already had the first chapter or so handwritten a few months ago, and I only needed to type it up.  
  



	3. Secrets and Decisions

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: I wasn't going to post this next chapter this soon, but seeing all the reviews (this story is now tying for second place in # of reviews with my Pirates of the Caribbean/Quantum Leap story) made me want to write more. I love getting feedback; it's what keeps me motivated to finish a story (or at least, keep working on it--I still only have 2 complete stories out of the 60 that I have started). Anyway, review responses are at the bottom.  


  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
Secrets and Decisions  


  
The movement woke Dena. Seeing her daughter awake, she jumped up and rushed to embrace her. Caitlin, struggling to ease the pain searing through her brain, held up her hands to stop her mother. Dena's face washed over with concern.  
  
"Are you okay, honey?"  
  
Caitlin grunted, "Killer headache."  
  
The alert bell was pulled by Dena faster than the speed of light. She then gently wrapped her arms around her daughter as the younger woman buried her face in her chest.  
  
Almost immediately, a homely woman entered the room. "What's the matter, dearie?"  
  
"She's awake and having pain in her head," replied Dena as she stood to let the nurse examine Caitlin.  
  
Caitlin, through the hot white flashes rolling across her mind, looked at the nurse in confusion when the woman produced with a flourish an oak wand from her robes. She carefully tapped the wand on Caitlin's temples while muttering a few foreign-sounding words, and the more intense pain was instantly relieved.  
  
As her head throbbed painlessly on, Caitlin queried, "What's going on?"  
  
The nurse exchanged a look with Dena, who leaned over, patted Caitlin's hand, and said, "We have a lot to talk about."  
  
"Darned sure we do, Mother!" exclaimed Caitlin. Her next words came in a one-breath stream. "Who's Dumbledore and what's a muggle and what is a Magithallus and what in _tarnation_ is a squib?!"  
  
Dena and the nurse exchanged another glance, this one filled with shock and surprise. Cautiously, the nurse ventured, "Where did you hear of such things, m'dear?"  
  
"In my vision," was the sighed reply.  
  
"Vision?" Dena looked downright frightened. "What vision?"  
  
Caitlin screwed up her eyebrows in remembrance, then sped into a detailed description of what had happened. Dena looked on in increasing horror, while the nurse developed a more curious, almost triumphant countenance. When at last she was finished with her account, Caitlin sat back and looked eagerly at the two women, who were staring back at her.  
  
After several moments of silence, Caitlin questioned impatiently, "Well?"  
  
Dena cleared her throat and spoke. "What you just described is _exactly_ what happened."  
  
"My dear," announced the nurse, "you have just demonstrated what we for _ages_ have been attempting to discover--_this_ must be one of the effects of having a fully operational Magithallus!"  
  
Dena pursed her lips. "They'll want to test her, won't they?"  
  
"Test me?" Caitlin didn't like the sound of that. "I don't think so. This is my mind and I'd like to keep it to myself, thank you very much."  
  
The nurse nodded gravely. "We must keep this development a secret. No one must know what you can do, Ms. Boyd, or you'll be subjected to the most rigorous experiments and tests the Ministry of Magic can perform on you. We can't let them get wind of this."  
  
"But... wouldn't it be a good thing for everyone to know what their full powers are capable of?" Caitlin didn't like the idea of tests and experiments, but she did understand that in the normal world, this would be a scientific opportunity like none other. Why would they want to keep it a secret?  
  
"Yes, I suppose it would be, but if the Ministry hears of your powers, they'll want to use you as a weapon in the war. They wouldn't think twice about the fact that you're a human being. All they would be concerned about is that you might be able to help win this war."  
  
"War? What war?"  
  
Dena crossed her arms and hugged them close to her chest. "Honey, as much as I would love to explain what's going on, I think Dumbledore may be a better candidate for introducing you to the magical world and the way things work here. In the meantime," she looked at the nurse, "when will Dumbledore be arriving to escort Caitlin to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Wait a minute," Caitlin said. "Who said anything about me going to Hogwarts? Did you think to ask me what I want to do now that my life's been turned upside down?"  
  
Dena shrugged. "The best way to harness the powers you now possess is to attend Hogwarts and receive proper training."  
  
"But what if I don't want to? What if I just want to go home, forget this ever happened, and go on living the life I had?"  
  
"You can't," said the nurse bluntly. "With the powers you now have, one touch of a house key or one brush up against a car door could send you into a vision. Merlin knows what things you may learn and what things you may want to get involved in. It isn't going to be something that you can simply ignore the rest of your life."  
  
"Why not? You say the Ministry of Magic would want to use me in some war of theirs. Well, wouldn't the best way to avoid them finding out about me be to let me go back to the Muggle world, as you call it, and forget this ever happened?"  
  
Dena stood and picked up the glass on the nightstand. "Tell you what. We'll leave you alone with your thoughts for now; let you take some time to decide what you want to do. To keep you out of sight of the Ministry, you'll have to stay on this floor. Visit some of the wards--I'd recommend the Janus Thickey Ward--and see if perhaps some of the longer-term patients can enlighten you about the magical world. Maybe you'll learn that accepting this new life isn't such a bad idea."  
  
The nurse stood as well, and gesturing kindly, lead Dena out of the room. Caitlin sighed and leaned back into her pillow, closing her eyes in the hope of easing the dull throbbing still lingering in her head.  
  
An interesting day _indeed_.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
**Review Responses--Chapter One: What Is A Squib?**  
  
**Karla Marie: **I can't wait to see how it turns out, either. I'm still trying to get a final plotline finished, but I'm also letting my characters and the situations I've put them in dictate what happens next... So even I don't know exactly how everything's going to turn out! :-)  
  
**person: **Reading reviews like yours--"I really want to read more of this"--makes me want to write more. I hope you liked this newest chapter!  
  
**Claire:** Well, I've updated soon... mainly because of yours and others' reviews. Hope you enjoyed this latest bit.  
  
**Cutegirl612: **Thanks for the compliment, and I shall.  
  
**Poohdog: **As you'll have read in this chapter, Caitlin is supposed to be 23, but she looks years younger. But, hey, at least when she's older, she won't show it as well.  
  
**richellebelle10: **Thank you for your review. I hope you like the rest of the story.  
  



	4. Ward 49

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: Yay! A new chapter! Not sure when the next one will be posted, much less finished, but I'm quite happy to have finally finished this one. I've made some minor changes on the previous chapters, mainly just correcting some typos and doing some word swapping to make the flow of words a bit smoother. The Prologue is the most changed of the parts, and you can find out what has changed in the Author's Updates on the Prologue. And now, enjoy **Chapter Three: Ward 49**! 

  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
Ward 49  


  
Venturing out of her ward later that day, Caitlin discovered via signs at the lifts that she was on the fourth floor of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The wards on her floor dealt with unliftable jinxes, hexes, and incorrectly applied charms. From the directory, Caitlin ascertained that her situation must indeed be unique as there was no ward on any floor that dealt specifically with her particular condition.  
  
The morning's events still burned brightly in her memory. After her mother and the nurse--who Caitlin now realized must actually be one of the Healers Dumbledore had mentioned--had left her alone with her jumbled thoughts, Caitlin had found herself attempting to analyze her vision from an objective viewpoint. She had deduced that her ability did not reveal simple memories, but an actual imprint of the past. This she had decided after remembering that she had been unconscious when Dumbledore had visited, and therefore it could not have been a memory.  
  
Caitlin had then decided to take her mother's advice and explore her surroundings. She had dressed herself in a pair of beat-up jeans and a sleeveless, hooded light green shirt, having found almost half her wardrobe stuffed into her mother's favorite large purple dufflebag. She had then picked up her white tennis shoes and found a chair next to a round table near the middle of the room. As she had braced herself against the table while trying to stick her foot into her shoe--which had obviously been washed, for it seemed to have shrunk like it always did when washed--another vision had assaulted her.  
  
She had once again plunged into a nighttime-darkened room. A single candle flickered from the round table. A handsome man with gorgeously blond hair paced the room, apparently searching for something. Caitlin couldn't keep quiet a low laugh at the sight of the hairnet-covered curlers in his hair and the blindingly embroidered lilac robe that hung limply off the man's shoulders. After a few moments, the man stifled a yawn and sat down at the round table, putting a hand on the table in order to keep his balance as he smoothed out his robe with the other hand.  
  
Just then, a Healer bustled into the room, exclaiming, "There you are! Now, now, you know you're not supposed to wander away from your ward. Come now, let's go back to your bed."  
  
The man reluctantly stood as the Healer grabbed his arm. As they exited the room, Caitlin could hear the Healer reminding the man that his ward was Number 49, and telling him that if he ever gets lost again, he should call for help rather than wander about.  
  
And the vision ended. Curious to know the identity of this rather handsome man, Caitlin was now roaming the halls, trying to find Ward 49. She finally found her destination. But as she made to open the door, she found it to be locked. Peering through a small window in the door, she knocked lightly. The Healer from the vision was making a bed near the door and heard the knocks. She looked up and smiled.  
  
Caitlin quickly walked through the door as the Healer opened and shut it hastily.  
  
"Why, hello! It is certainly wonderful to see you up and about," the Healer said. "Doing some exploring?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I... well, do you know about my, uh... you know?" Caitlin tapped lightly on her head. She wasn't going to tell anyone who didn't know already about her powers, just to be on the safe side.  
  
"Yes, dear, I know. All the Healers on this floor were given a rundown of the situation earlier today."  
  
Caitlin smiled with relief. "Then, if that's the case, I had a vision of a patient of yours, and I was interested in meeting him."  
  
The Healer smirked and pointed to an elaborately decorated area of the room where the man from Caitlin's vision sat writing at a table. "I'm guessing you're referring to Gilderoy, as he's the only one to have touched anything that could trigger a vision of yours."  
  
"Yes, that's him," Caitlin replied, taking a step forward, her gaze not leaving the man named Gilderoy.  
  
"You seem quite intrigued, if I say so myself," the Healer commented.  
  
"Well, it's just that I've never seen anyone like him... Why is he here?"  
  
The Healer took Caitlin's hand and gently led her toward Gilderoy's table. "I would tell you, but I'll let him instead. He's been showing great improvement since Christmas. One reason, I would venture to guess, is that on Christmas Day, he got his first visitors since his admittance. A few of his former students came to say hello, and then his cousin finally heard of his situation and has been making monthly visits since February. I want to see if he remembers enough now to tell you his story himself."  
  
They arrived at Gilderoy's area of the ward, which was just as flamboyantly decorated as its owner, who today wore an elaborate blue outfit. He was signing his autograph, Caitlin could see now that she was closer. The Healer let go of Caitlin's hand and gently pushed her forward. Caitlin slowly approached the table. Feeling a presence, the man looked up. The blinding light of his smile nearly knocked Caitlin over. _Wow!_  
  
"Hello there!" Gilderoy said cheerfully, looking up from the stack of photos he was leaning over. "Come to ask for an autograph, have you?"  
  
As bright and lively as this man's baby blue eyes were, Caitlin could see a hint of confusion and even sorrow. She realized that the grin couldn't hide the man's loneliness. She nodded. "Yes, I have."  
  
Gilderoy got to work straight away, plucking a photo from its stack and signing it with a flourish. The Healer in the meantime backed slowly away and exited quietly out of the ward.  
  
Handing the photo back, Gilderoy inquired, "You're new here, aren't you?"  
  
Caitlin nodded. "I've been here about a week... I think."  
  
Gilderoy sighed and waved a hand, offering Caitlin a seat. She sat as she looked at her newly signed photo. The picture featured a much happier looking Gilderoy, his smile nearly outshining his brilliant yellow robes. She was just noting that his last name was Lockhart when she jumped in surprise as the picture _moved_, its hand lifting and waving in greeting. Caitlin looked up at Gilderoy quickly, knowing her surprise was written all over her face.  
  
She was right, as Gilderoy offered quietly, "Is something the matter?"  
  
"No, I suppose not, except... the picture... it _moved_."  
  
Gilderoy smirked. "A bit out of the loop, aren't you, m'dear?"  
  
"Well, actually, I've been completely 'out of the loop.' I'm fairly new to magic."  
  
"A late blossomer, eh?"  
  
Caitlin nodded and explained her situation, carefully avoiding mention of her prophetic abilities. At the end of the account, Gilderoy sat back in his chair and whistled. "A fully operational Magithallus.... I definitely wonder what sorts of undiscovered magical abilities you may have uncovered."  
  
"Yes, I wonder, too," said Caitlin, grinning to herself as she thought, _You have no idea_. "So, how long have you been here?"  
  
Gilderoy--who this entire time had been signing more autographs--glanced at Caitlin for a brief moment before looking back at his work. "They tell me I've been here three and a half years." He looked about, and seeing no one within hearing distance, he leaned closer to Caitlin, who leaned toward him to hear what he was about to tell. "They think I don't know anything, that I can't remember everything I used to know, but I do."  
  
"You do?" Caitlin matched Gilderoy's soft whisper with her own. She didn't know _what_ he remembered, but whatever it was, it seemed rather important from his demeanor.  
  
"Yes, I remember everything. And believe me, most of it I am quite ashamed of. However, I have to keep up my act so that no one will realize I have recovered my memory. There are things I have seen in the past that _no one_ knows about, not even the Minister of Magic. But they can't find out what I know, or I will be in terrible danger, as would the entire wizarding world."  
  
Caitlin took this all in and frowned. The poor man looked absolutely terror-stricken. With this news, Caitlin felt as though she had found a kindred soul, someone who knew something and must keep it a secret from everyone but themselves. She suddenly felt compelled to confide in him her secret.  
  
"I know something important, too," she found herself saying before she could thoroughly think through the pros and cons of telling Gilderoy her secret. "I know what one of my powers are."  
  
Gilderoy raised an eyebrow and took his turn saying, "You do?"  
  
She nodded. "When I touch certain objects or people, I get thrown into a vision of the past. Not just a memory, but an actual imprint of previous events."  
  
"Ah, I can see why you would keep that a secret. The Ministry is not one of the more humane organizations in our world. They would take advantage of your powers and wouldn't care what affect it might have on you as a human being."  
  
"Yes, my mother warned me about that. Which is why I want to forget this ever happened and go back to living my old 'muggle' life. That way the Ministry won't have as much of a chance of hearing about my powers and taking me in for experimentation."  
  
Gilderoy stopped signing and rested his hands on the table, almost uncomfortably close to Caitlin's. "My dear, you shouldn't think like that. Although I agree that the Ministry's way of dealing with situations like this is questionable, I also have to point out that if you don't train your powers, you won't have a chance of going back to life that even remotely resembles the 'normal' life you once had."  
  
"I thought you might say that. My Healer said it, too. But... what if I don't want to commit to a long term stay at... oh, what was it called?"  
  
"Hogwarts?" he suggested.  
  
"Yes, that's it. What if I don't want to commit to a long term stay at Hogwarts? Dumbledore wants me to _teach_ there while I take private lessons. Wouldn't teaching there just open me up to a higher chance of being discovered by the Ministry?"  
  
"Perhaps, but you really don't know how safe Hogwarts is," Gilderoy exclaimed. "Dumbledore is the best person you could possibly live near with a situation like yours."  
  
"What exactly _is_ Hogwarts, anyway?"  
  
Gilderoy smiled. "Hogwarts is undoubtedly the best School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this side of the Atlantic."  
  
"What exactly goes on there? How many students are there? What can I expect when living there... that is, _if_ I do, of course."  
  
"How about I show you?" Gilderoy lifted his arm and rested his elbow on the table, his hand sitting vertical, inviting Caitlin to touch it.  
  
She did, and oh, the interesting things she saw.  
  
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**Review Responses--Chapter Two: Secrets and Decisions**  
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	5. Are You Done Talking?

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: The character Caitlin meets in this chapter is very loosely based on a friend of mine. Actually, it's so loosely based that I think it'd be better to say "inspired by" rather than "based on". This friend is a true Slytherin, but believe me, she's not evil. She's a great friend--the best friend I've ever had.  
  
This character who was inspired by her was also inspired by a character created by this friend. A very talkative Original Character who is so lively and charismatic, that I couldn't resist putting a similar character in my own story. Plus, having a talkative character is great for exposition.  
  
Responses for reviews on Chapter Three at the bottom, as always. Enjoy! 

  
CHAPTER FOUR  
Are You Done Talking?  


  
Snapping out of her latest vision, Caitlin lurched forward off her chair, Gilderoy catching her just before she hit the floor. He gently helped her sit back and watched her with concern as she rubbed her temples.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked softly.  
  
Caitlin nodded slowly. "Yes, I'll be okay. I just... this was the longest vision I've had so far. I guess I went into information overload."  
  
It did indeed seem to be that she had been overloaded with information. Her mind was still sorting through all the brief glimpses she saw of Hogwarts. As it all settled in, she felt as though she'd learned everything she needed to know about Hogwarts and life as a resident. She had seen the Sorting, the grand feast, various staff meetings, a boy with a lightning shaped scar, and most prominently, a dark figure swooping about the halls who looked curiously familiar. She wasn't quite sure that it was truly who she thought it might be; it could just be wishful thinking.  
  
Not wanting to mention this last bit to Gilderoy, she stood up and smiled. "Well, you've certainly given me quite a bit to think about. It's been a pleasure meeting you, but for now, I need to go back to my own ward and rest up a bit. I hope I see you again."  
  
Gilderoy stood and gave a slight bow. "The pleasure has been all mine, and... enjoy that autograph, now, won't you?" he added with a wink.  
  
She winked back and headed to the door.  
  


**xoxox**

  
As she walked toward her ward, Caitlin pondered on all she had learned from Gilderoy. She realized that much of what she had seen of Hogwarts had been so fleeting, she still did not possess a full understanding of what it would be like to live there, should she decide to steer her life in that direction.  
  
Lying back down on her bed, she realized she definitely should have asked more questions of Gilderoy, especially concerning the teachers and staff at Hogwarts. If Dumbledore was planning to have her teach at that school, she felt she needed to know about the people she would be working beside. She _had_ gleaned a few bits and pieces of information from her vision, such as there was a female teacher named McGonagall, a Professor Flitwick, and a potions master that all students loathed except most of the students of his own "house."  
  
Caitlin reminded herself to ask Gilderoy about "houses" and what-not next time she saw him. Just as she felt sleep falling over her, she thought again of this potions master that the students badmouthed and Dumbledore spoke highly of, and told herself this would likely be a teacher she would need to keep an eye on.  
  
"He's not really that bad."  
  
Caitlin shot up in bed, looking around for the source of the new voice. She discovered a short girl--probably about sixteen years old--standing at the round table. The girl's long brown hair fluttered about her shoulders as she ambled over to Caitlin's bed.  
  
As she extended her hand in greeting, the girl said cheerfully, "Hi! I'm Kirsten Bundy. Pleased to make your acquaintance."  
  
Caitlin, still trying to calm herself from the rude awakening, looked at the hand awaiting her touch. She then looked down at her own hand, and her eyes shot straight up to meet Kirsten's. _If I shake her hand, I'll probably have another vision. I'm too tired to deal with that._  
  
Before Caitlin could make up her mind as to whether or not she wanted to take the risk, Kirsten dropped her hand. "So, you're a Touch-Seer, eh?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"When you touch someone or something, you see visions of the past or future, right?"  
  
Caitlin furrowed a brow. "And what makes you think that?"  
  
"I'm a telepath. I usually have to concentrate to turn on my connection to someone's thoughts, but somehow your thoughts are coming through loud and clear of their own accord."  
  
"Do you think it could be my fully active Magithallus?"  
  
Kirsten's eyes popped out in surprise. "'Fully active'? As in, one-hundred percent? Oh, wow! I don't think anyone in all Magical history had that. I'm sure Professor Binns would have mentioned it. 'Course, then again, he drones on so dully that I often find myself tuning out of class and into the class' thoughts."  
  
"You just go into anyone's thoughts without permission?"  
  
Kirsten blushed. "I know, I shouldn't do that. But it's definitely more interesting than history class. Besides, I only ever tap into impersonal thoughts, not personal."  
  
"Is there a difference?"  
  
"Sure!" Kirsten bobbed up and down on the balls of her feet, as though excited to explain the details of her power. "When a person has impersonal thoughts, they project on a different wave than personal. It's a magic thing. Speaking of that, how is that you've managed to live what looks about seventeen years in the magic world without anyone ever discovering your abnormal Magithallus?"  
  
"I'm twenty-three, and I didn't. Until two days ago, I lived my life completely ignorant of the magical world."  
  
"You mean... you have a completely operational Magithallus and you're a _muggle?!_"  
  
"Muggle?"  
  
"Non-magical person..." Kirsten paused, took a deep breath, and continued rapidly, "Of course, I guess technically you'd be more like a squib with powers--well, no, that wouldn't work either. I dunno. I guess since you're unique, there'll eventually be a term made up just for your particular situation."  
  
Caitlin was nearly shocked into silence by the girl's talkativeness and could only softly ask, "So, why are you at St. Mungo's?"  
  
"Oh, I'm visiting my cousin Gilderoy--he's the son of my dad's sister. Have you met him yet? He's a bit self-centered, but he's cool all the same."  
  
Caitlin smiled. "Yes, I've met him. So, you must be the cousin the Healer mentioned. She said he's improved a bit since you started visiting."  
  
Kirsten folded her hands in front of herself and blushed. "Yeah, I've heard. Gildy and I were always the best of friends when I was little. He'd always read me books and draw pictures with me. Of course, the books were always written by him or about him, and the pictures we'd draw would always be of him, but it was still fun."  
  
Caitlin crossed her legs, leaned her elbows on her knees, and rested her chin on her fists. "He gave me an autograph... And he let me know all about the school I might be attending to train my powers."  
  
"Oooo... Are you going to Salem? Well, at least, I'm guessing that's where you're going, since you're definitely American. I went to Salem 'til my parents divorced and my dad moved us to London. I started at Hogwarts last year."  
  
Caitlin couldn't believe how much information she had already leaked to Kirsten without really realizing it. She attributed it to the fact that the girl had the same kind of trustworthy aura about her as Gilderoy had. Considering the girl would likely know everything about Caitlin before the day was over because of her telepathic powers, Caitlin decided that she might as well forge ahead and save Kirsten the trouble of reading her mind.  
  
"As a matter of fact, seeing as how I've been living in London for several years now, I'll be teaching at Hogwarts."  
  
Kirsten tilted her head, a confused look on her face. "You're going to be _teaching_ at Hogwarts? But you're a--excuse me--_kind of_ a muggle!"  
  
"Dumbledore figured that I would feel strange starting my first year as a 23-year-old student, so he'll be giving me lessons privately while I teach Muggle Studies."  
  
"Ah, that makes sense. That's a really good idea, actually. Dumbledore always comes up with the greatest ideas. A muggle teaching Muggle Studies. Brilliant!"  
  
Caitlin yawned. She was becoming very tired again, but thinking about the fact that she could question Kirsten about Hogwarts and the teachers, she willed herself to stay awake long enough to comment, "You read my thoughts about the potions master earlier and said he wasn't so bad. What's he like, and... what's his name?"  
  
She had a feeling that this potions master was the same man in the swooping black cape she had seen in her vision, and in turn felt he was very possibly the man she had once met what felt like decades ago.  
  
Kirsten, still standing, finally became aware that she had been standing all this time, so she ambled around the bed and sat on the wooden chair beside Caitlin's bed. "Well, people always seem to think that he's just plain out mean for no reason, but I've, uh, done some _research_, and I've found that he's actually using his grumpiness as a shield for... something; I'm not sure what. He's an Occlumens; even deep impersonal thoughts of his are carefully hidden. However, he doesn't know I'm a telepath, and he never thinks to shield his impersonal thoughts during class. So, I can't quite pick up on his true motivations, but I know that he's better than everyone thinks. Oh, hey, you know what! You should make sure to shake his hand when you meet him. Maybe you'll discover something juicy. Since you're an imprint seer, not a thought reader, you can see anything that has happened or will happen to anybody!"  
  
Finally, Kirsten stopped to take a breath. Caitlin had never known anyone who could talk so much, but she wasn't going to complain: she was learning what she'd wanted to know, and then some. She felt Kirsten's ethics were a bit questionable, however the girl's obvious penchant for gossip could come in handy.  
  
Instead of offering a concrete answer to Kirsten's suggestion, Caitlin avoided it completely by commenting, "You never told me his name."  
  
"Oh, yeah, his name is Professor Snape. Well, not Professor, but as I'm a student, you can surely--" A look from Caitlin was all she needed to finish quickly, "It's Severus. Severus Snape."  
  
Caitlin felt like giving a yell of victory. So it _was_ the man she had met in the grocery store the night of her accident. If she chose to attend Hogwarts, she would see him again. She couldn't explain why she was so intrigued by him, but she chalked this information up as one _for_ Hogwarts.  
  
Kirsten looked at her pocket watch. "Well, I'd better be going. I'm going down to Diagon Alley tomorrow to buy my school supplies, so I've got to get some sleep. It's going to be an exciting day. Maybe I'll even run into Harry Potter! I know the Weasleys and Hermione Granger will be there tomorrow, 'cause Neville told me. I've actually never met Harry face-to-face yet. I'm in Slytherin and he's in Gryffindor, so we don't have any classes together. But I hear he might be taking Muggle Studies at the insistence of Dumbledore; I'm not sure if he will, considering he lived as a complete Muggle 'til he came to Hogwarts. I know Hermione and Ron will be taking it. I overthought--is that a word? Oh, well, it is now--Ron's longwinded complaints on the train home last term; his dad works in the Muggle Artifacts department at the Ministry, and apparently his dad wants him to take Muggle Studies so he can better understand his Muggleborn friends. I'm doing the same... so, hey, I'll be in your class!"  
  
Caitlin, having not moved nor made a sound during the past few minutes, finally got a few words in. "You said you're in Slytherin? Could you explain the house situation to me? I didn't get much information about houses from the visions Gilderoy led me into."  
  
Kirsten obliged, and after a full explanation of houses, points, prefects, and the like, Caitlin felt that should she indeed attend Hogwarts, she was in for one interesting school year.  
  
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**Review Responses--Chapter Three: Ward 49**  
  
**d:** I'm glad the story sounds good to you. Hope you enjoyed this newest chapter!  
  
**aljake:** Yes, I'm happy you reviewed. Sorry to disappoint you about Lockhart. I just like Lockhart so much, I wanted to make him a likeable character. Besides, it's totally plausible for him to change because of what happened to him. Thanks for the compliments!  



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